[opendtv] Re: Digital TV: Brazil to Adopt Anything But the American System
- From: "Nick Kocsis" <kocsis_nick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 2 Feb 2006 23:01:03 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "nat ostroff" <nostroff@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 8:17 PM
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Digital TV: Brazil to Adopt Anything But the American
System
> Well well well, Was it not the NAB backed by MSTV that proclaimed "US
> Broadcasters have little or no interest in mobile reception of DTV"? We at
> Sinclair still bear the scars of trying to alter THAT mentality. So, why
> is
> the Broadcast industry STILL relying on the NAB for leadership? Is it an
> industrry wide death wish? Recently I was told by a senior member of ATSC
> that Sinclair should organize a broadcaster group to speak out at the ATSC
> for change. Frankly, we have been there and done that. How about someone
> else rising to the occasion? We would certainly support such an effort.
> Best
> to be wearing body armour however.
>
>
> Nat Ostroff
> Sinclair Broadcast Group
{snip)
Apparently the 'pigeons' have come home to roost.
The MSTV saga was ongoing just at the time I retired from the Spectrum
Management Branch of a department of the Canadian Federal Government. Much
of what transpired concerning those tests was forwarded by me to my
ex-colleagues with whom I am still in frequent contact. I am certain that
all of us became aware of the short-comings of ATSC 8VSB as the MSTV story
unfolded with gerry-mandered testing.
Never-the-less 8VSB was adopted as the Canadian standard for DTV and has
remained so ever since.
None of what I will tell you has any official seal of approval and should be
treated as 'hearsay'. There are several problems with government decision
making. Ours is the fact that we share a long border with the U.S.as
intimate and friendly neighbours. A president of General Motors once
proclaimed that "what was good for General Motors was good for America". I
will leave it to your own conclusion as to why Canada adopted a flawed DTV
standard in concert with the U.S. A more obvious example of failure is the
state of Generous Motors where two generations of my family worked. Is
history about to be repeated ?
The next item of interest is that the opinion of those still employed at
Spectrum overwhelmingly declare that broadcast TV is in its death throes and
wish it to "Rest in Peace". Self interest is involved here since recovering
spectrum is a bread and butter issue for those responsible for authorization
and licensing of spectrum. Any delay in the ultimate outcome is not a
desirable outcome in their view since without clients there is no
employment.
A Toronto TV outlet decided to go DTV a few years ago using 8VSB. An
official there decried the fact that retailers like a certain Mr. G. did not
offer STBs to receive the channel and that in effect the station was wasting
electric power to broadcast to the 'deaf and dumb'. (Apologies to any I
may have offended by that last statement).
Then there was an government official who put out a public statement to the
press that Canada would repose in technological backwardness if it did not
accelerate its transition to DTV. (Can't believe that anyone of any
intelligence would make a statement like that). I can only surmise that
the individual had his own personal agenda not necessarly in the public
interest.
The most interesting opinion of all goes back to the time when it was
realized that mobile and portable service in 8VSB was not viable technically
except in COFDM mode. My best friend and colleague could not be convinced
that mobile and portable service had a future. TV reception in a mobile
environment in his opinion was quite "ridiculous". He still maintains that
such service is a fad and will not last (stubborn as a mule).
The real 'kicker' came last week. I visited a nephew whose in-laws (both
retired teachers) were preparing to head for Arizona in their camper van.
The father-in-law was installing a TV flat screen receiver in the van. He
complained that except for one analog station the other stations which are
always of good signal strength were not received well. I didn't want to
get involved but I did mention to him that analog broadcast in the U.S. was
to shut down in the not too distant future and that he would need a DTV
converter to receive the new stations. Since he will be spending a lot of
time touring in the U.S. I just wonder what disappointments lay ahead for
his mobile TV viewing when analog shutdown of which he was unaware becomes
reality.
Nat rightly describes a dominating mentality that does us poor service.
No one in their wildest dream could image that suicide teams could fly
hijacked aircraft into World Trade Center and the Pentagon. What is more
outrageous (to me anyways) is that the suicide team got their training on
their aircraft of choice in the good old U.S.A. Further that when a
flight instructor reported a student of Arabic origin as having no interest
in landing an aircraft I cannot believe that alarm bells did not ring in the
offices of the FBI.
I hate to say it but we are in a era of political cynacism and a lack of
creative imagination as to what is possible now and in the future. Self
interest seems to be at the core of the problem.
I tell my friend and ex-colleague that watching one's girl friend take off
her clothes via cell picture phone (as depicted in a TV ad) is a fad. Yet
the number of these devices already in use is huge. I suppose taking your
pocket TV receiver to ball game to get additional coverage would be a fad as
well in ball parks not equipped with a large screen playback of the action.
Tell the Federal government that the Blackberry is of no value and is
nothing more than a fad.
Where are the creative juices that made a nation great ?
I shall say no more !
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